The 17 best things to do in Milan

Italy’s most modern and glamorous city, Milan displays innovative architecture and forward-thinking design at every turn. (It was famously the home of Leonardo da Vinci, after all.) Yet the past is visible everywhere in this lively and dynamic city, which is in the middle the Po Valley – a region inhabited for millennia. An exciting mix of museums, art and fashion; historic sites and inspiring structures; and dining and cocktails, this is our list of the top things to do in Milan. Piazza del Duomo, Milan. Andy Soloman/Shutterstock 1. Start at Piazza DuomoThe Duomo di Milano, Milan’s cathedral, is the unforgettable icon of the city. (This stunning work of Gothic architecture also happens to be Italy’s largest church, since St Peter’s Basilica sits in the sovereign state of the Vatican.) From the outside, the Duomo’s intricately decorated facade and multitude of spires leave visitors dazzled. Crowning the tableau is the famous golden statue of the Virgin Mary, the Madonnina – another everlasting symbol of Milan. Advertisement The large square in front of the monument, Piazza Duomo, is the city’s heart. After you’ve some pictures against one of the best backdrops Italy has to offer, take in the urban bustle in every corner of the piazza, then head off in any direction to find more of Milan’s top attractions.Planning tip: The good-value 26 euro combination ticket gets you access to the cathedral, roof terraces and more within a 2-day period.2. Enjoy happy hour in the birthplace of the aperitivoAperitivo – Italy’s answer to happy hour – has become so popular you can enjoy it all over the country. Yet Milan is where its winning modern-day permutation was born. Typically from 6– 9pm, bars offer an aperitivo service that lets you enjoy an array of nibbles for the price of a cocktail.Though traditionally the drink of choice involves Aperol, Campari or vermouth, these days any cocktail will do. Accompanying snacks range from olives and chips to curated small plates or sometimes an all-out buffet – thus catapulting aperitivo to apericena, a hearty near-substitute for dinner.Local tip: A good place to partake of aperitivo is the historic Camparino in Galleria. It was here as early as the 1920s that the tradition was allegedly conceived; the bar has served drinks to the likes of Verdi, Toscanini and Dudovich. Cast-iron chandeliers and mirrored walls trimmed with mosaics of birds and flowers set the tone for a classy Campari-based concoction. The grand glass canopy of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade. TommL/Getty Images 3. Go window shopping at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele IIWith its triumphal arch and sky-revealing glass canopy, the glorious Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II broke the mold of any shopping arcade that came before it. Built in 1867 and named after the king who unified modern Italy, the interior is a mix of genteel cafes and haute couture. Historic spots include Biffi restaurant (in operation since the Galleria’s opening), and the first Prada shop, with its original “Fratelli Prada” (Prada Brothers) sign.In between your window shopping, seek out the bull depicted in mosaic tiles at the center of the Galleria – then spin on your heel on its testicles (now a worn-down cavity). Legend has it this will bring you luck.Planning tip: Photo hunters should rise early to catch the light on the glowing, mosaicked ceiling vaults.4. Have a drink along one of the city’s canalsMilan was once laced with waterways that Leonardo da Vinci himself had a hand in developing. Sadly, in the 1930s the Fascist regime filled in most of them for supposed reasons of hygiene, and to accommodate increasing number of cars. Today, you can get a glimpse of how the city once looked along the Naviglio Grande and Naviglio Pavese. Both of these photogenic canals are lined with bars, cafes and restaurants that thrum with activity day and night. Naviglio Grande is the place in town for an aperitivo; on Saturday nights, it feels like the whole city is here.Local tips: On the last Sunday of the month, Naviglio Grande hosts the Mercatone dell’Antiquariato, a sprawling antiques market. For a different view of the canals, rent a bike for some picturesque pedaling past small villages and old cascine (farmhouses) just beyond the city. A restaurant with outdoor seating in Milan. Catarina Belova/Shutterstock 5. Enjoy Milan’s hearty traditional cuisineInfluenced by French and Austrian traditions, Milanese’s robust cuisine is rich and utterly satisfying, heavy on meat and often gorgeously yellow (thanks to ample use of saffron or butter). Dig into a hearty osso buco and buttery risotto alla milanese at Trattoria Masuelli, run by the same family since 1921. See why the young chef at Via Stampa is turning heads, thanks to Milanese dishes like mondeghili (meatballs) that use ingredients from ethical local producers. Advertisement Call Ratanà 2 days ahead to order arguably the best cotoletta (breaded veal) in town. Acquaint your taste buds with such Milanese classics as cabbage rolls, tripe and osso buco at historic Antica Trattoria della Pesa. Or take a seat in the vine-covered garden to enjoy heaped portions of handmade pasta and traditional Lombard dishes at Osteria del Binari. The exterior of Castello Sforzesco, Milan. Blue Planet Studio/Shutterstock 6. Take in medieval and Renaissance art at Castello SforzescoLording over Parco Sempione, the red-brick Castello Sforzesco was the home of the mighty Sforza dynasty, which ruled Renaissance Milan. Its defenses were designed by Leonardo da Vinci; Napoleon later drained the moat and removed the drawbridges. Today, the castle houses seven museums that showcase aspects of Milan’s cultural and civic history, from the medieval equestrian tomb of Bernabò Visconti to Michelangelo’s Rondanini Pietà, his final (and some say finest) work.Housed in the frescoed ducal apartments, the Museum of Ancient Art has a stellar medieval collection. From paleo-Christian frescoes to sculpted reliefs depicting Milan’s triumph over Barbarossa, the artworks relate the ambitious, often murderous story of Italy’s first urban comune. Leonardo created the frescoes on the octagonal ceiling of the Sala delle Asse (room VIII); other rooms sport heraldic coats of arms.Planning tip: Admission to the museum is free on the first and third Tuesday from 2pm, and every first Sunday of the month. A cafe on Via Monte Napoleone, Milan. Renato Murolo 68/Shutterstock 7. Sashay through Milan’s fashion districtThe most stylish area of this world fashion capital is the Quadrilatero della Moda. Start at Museo Poldi Pezzoli, where a 19th-century nobleman transformed his apartments into themed rooms showcasing the medieval, early Renaissance, and baroque periods. Next, head up Via Alessandro Manzoni to Alessi, the iconic Italian design store founded in 1921 that features beautifully crafted utensils by leading architect-designers.Continue on to Via Monte Napoleone, the Quad’s most important street lined, where global luxury brands cluster. Turn up Via Gesù to Museo Bagatti Valsecchi, where two wealthy brothers created a house museum filled with Renaissance treasures. Take an espresso break at Cova Montenapoleone, Milan’s oldest cafe (open since 1817). End at Palazzo Morando, the former home of Countess Bolognini, which displays four centuries of artworks as well as fashion exhibitions. Admiring Leonardo’s “Last Supper,” Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan. Alexey Fedorenko/Shutterstock 8. Admire Leonardo’s world-famous Last Supper in personMilan’s most famous painting, Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper (Il Cenacolo), is hidden away on a wall of the refectory that adjoins the Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie. Depicting Christ and his disciples at the dramatic moment when Christ reveals he is aware of betrayal afoot, the large-scale work is a masterful psychological study and one of the world’s most iconic images. Since Leonardo’s experimental technique caused the painting to begin deteriorating within 20 years of completion – and since WWII bombings and harmful restoration attempts also beset the work – the fact it remains at all is nothing short of a miracle.Planning tip: Online reservations are released quarterly (for example, in mid-March for June, July or August visits); tickets go quickly, so mark your calendar to snap up yours. Teatro alla Scala, Milan. posztos/Shutterstock 9. Hear live music at La ScalaOne of the most famous opera stages in the world, Teatro alla Scala is where Verdi triumphed, Toscanini established his legacy as a virtuoso conductor and countless divas earned ovations. Sitting in the theater’s crimson-and-gilt boxes among the Milanese dressed to impress is one of those moments that can never be adequately captured on social media.  Planning tip: The opera season kicks off on December 7, the day of Sant’Ambrogio – Milan’s patron saint – and typically runs until mid-July. If you’re not a fan of staged opera, you can also see theater, ballet and classical-music presentations here year-round (except August).10. Discover Lombard artworks at Gallerie d’ItaliaIn a fabulously decorated 19th-century palazzo (mansion), Gallerie d’Italia houses a striking collection of 18th- and 19th-century Lombard paintings. In a suite of 23 rooms, you’ll find a magnificent sequence of bas-reliefs by Antonio Canova, luminous Romantic masterpieces by Francesco Hayez and other standout works. The collection documents Milan’s significant contribution to the rebirth of Italian sculpture, the patriotic romanticism of the Risorgimento (reunification period), and the birth of futurism at the dawn of the 20th century. Stalls at the “Oh Bej! Oh Bej!” Christmas market in Milan. Drone Focus/Shutterstock 11. Celebrate the feast of Sant’Ambrogio – and the holidaysThe feast day of Milan’s patron saint, St Ambrose, is celebrated on December 7 with a special mass at the Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio and the large Christmas fair “Oh Bej! Oh Bej!” (pronounced “o-bay, o-bay”). The market sets up in and around Castello Sforzesco, with stalls selling regional foods, sweets and seasonal handicrafts.12. Get inspiration for your home at Milan Design Week in AprilThe world’s most prestigious annual furniture and design fair, the annual Salone Internazionale del Mobile draws crowds from across the globe. Held in April, the fair runs alongside its ever-popular sidekick Fuorisalone, which (as the name suggests) covers all design events “outside” the Salone. Fuorisalone animates the entire city for one action-packed week, particularly Tortona, Lambrate and the center. Expect to be inundated with design-related events, parties, large-scale installations and exhibitions. An installation within Fondazione Prada, Milan. Andrei Antipov/Shutterstock 13. Visit Fondazione Prada for avant-garde art and architectureFormerly a gin distillery, this sprawling 19,000-sq-m postindustrial complex in south Milan has been given the Prada touch. At Fondazione Prada, several buildings are clad in dazzling 24-carat gold leaf; there’s also a blindingly white 60m-high concrete tower. Conceived by Miuccia Prada and husband Patrizio Bertelli, and designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Rem Koolhaas, Fondazione Prada is Milan’s top spot for contemporary art, film and multidisciplinary projects that often seek to probe our perceptions of modern life.Local tip: Before or after your gallery visit (or even instead of one), stop for a drink at on-site Bar Luce, whose ’50s-style decor was designed by Wes Anderson. 14. Enjoy a moveable feast on board the ATMosferaTwo of Milan’s historic trams have been turned into a restaurant, at which you can eat your way through a 4-course menu as you tour the city. When you book a table on the ATMosfera, you choose a set menu (vegetarian option available), which you’ll enjoy over the course of 2 hours and 30 minutes amid the restored car’s varnished teak walls, glass lanterns and upholstered benches. The Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) apartment towers, Milan. kurmyshov/Getty Images 15. Understand (truly) green design at the Bosco VerticaleAmid the steel-and-glass skyscrapers of redeveloped district of Porto Nuova, twin buildings shoot toward the sky, shockingly green and brimming with life. This is Stefano Boeri’s Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest), two high-rise apartment blocks sprouting some 800 trees and 20,000 shrubs and plants. Not only does all this greenery generate huge amounts of oxygen and absorb CO₂, it creates a green curtain that moderates internal temperatures and noise, while attracting birds and insect populations.The first of its kind, Boeri’s design has been so successful the architect has taken it to China, Switzerland and the Netherlands. It’s become an award-winning vision of future living.16. See masterpieces at the Biblioteca AmbrosianaOne of Europe’s earliest public libraries (built in 1609), the Biblioteca e Pinacoteca Ambrosiana houses countless volumes and manuscripts, including Leonardo da Vinci’s priceless collection of drawings, the Codex Atlanticus. A 24-room art museum exhibits Italian paintings from the 14th to the 20th century, including Caravaggio’s early masterpiece Canestra di frutta (Basket of Fruit). Though unfinished, the intimate Portrait of a Musician (painted in 1485) is a masterpiece by Leonardo, and his only known painted portrait of a man. Leonardo da Vinci’s flying machines at Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia, Milan. Viktor Gladkov/Shutterstock 17. Experience the world of Leonardo at Milan’s massive science museumWould-be inventors will go gaga at the Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci, the largest of its kind in Italy. It’s a fitting tribute in a city where this arch-inventor did much of his finest work. The 16th-century monastery housing the museum displays more than 10,000 items, including in outdoor hangars housing steam trains, planes and full-sized galleons. The highlight is the Leonardo da Vinci collection: atmospheric galleries featuring sketches, notebooks and over 170 historical models exploring his ideas and inventions, from war machines and castle fortifications to flying apparatuses and canal systems.

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